Brac University, (, also known as BracU) is a private research university located in Dhaka, Bangladesh. It was established in 2001 as a branch of Sir Fazle Hasan Abed's BRAC under the Private University Act 1992.
History
Sir Fazle Hasan Abed founded BRAC University in 2001, under the Private University Act. Located at 66 Mohakhali, Dhaka, the university is based on the American liberal arts college model. The university began with just three departments and around 80 students in 2001. It held its first Convocation in January 2006. As the university grew, it increased the number of programs and introduced master's degrees. The development of a library with high academic standards was important to Sir Abed. The Ayesha Abed Library was digitized shortly after its inception. The university had 11,200 students in 20 schools, departments, and institutes in 2020.
Campus
Residential Campus
The Residential Campus in Savar was founded in 2003 and substantially expanded in 2012. Students spend a semester on the Residential Campus, where they take specific courses and fulfill community tasks during the week. Residential Semester is mandatory for every students. On Friday and Saturday, they visit orphanages, nursing homes, and landmark sites. In Bangladesh, many students stay with their parents during their university years.
Resources and facilities
Ayesha Abed Library
Counseling Unit at RS
Courseware Moodle
Fabrication Lab* GDLN Centre
MSDN Academic Allience
Underconstruction city campus
BRAC University is building a sustainable green campus in Merul Badda, Dhaka, a campus designed by WOHA Designs Pte Ltd., an architectural firm based in Singapore. Construction of this facility began in 2017. The university building will have 13 floors and a total area of 157,935 sq. meters. The facilities include an auditorium with 700 seats, a multipurpose hall with 1850 seats, classrooms, labs, design studios, lecture theaters, an IT data center, UPS, CCTVs, a cafeteria, an e-library, a parking lot, recreation facilities, and a rooftop playground. The new campus is 2017 LafargeHolcim Asia Pacific- Bronze Winner awarded by LafargeHolcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction. The floating campus will open soon.
BRAC University has also planned a medical school in Dhaka Village. This separate campus will occupy 56 acres.
Organization and administration
Leadership and management
The current structure was established in 2011. The President of Bangladesh is BRAC University's Chancellor. The board of trustees is the highest policy-making body of BRAC University. It has 12 members, one of them being the Vice-Chancellor. Chaired by the Vice-Chancellor, the Syndicate supervises the academic and administrative functions of the university. The Academic Council, also chaired by the Vice-Chancellor, makes education policy recommendations and reviews curricula and academic progress.
Administration
The university administration is led by the Vice-Chancellor, the Registrar, and the Heads of academic units.
Vice Chancellors
Academics
Diverse academic units serve the mission of BRAC University. Departments have degree-granting programs, schools support strategic initiatives, institutes are autonomous research entities, and centers are project-based entities.
Schools and institutes
Brac Business School
School of Data and Sciences
BSRM School of Engineering
School of Law
School of Humanities and Social Sciences
School of General Education
School of Pharmacy
James P. Grant School of Public Health
School of Architecture and Design
Brac Institute of Languages
Brac Institute of Educational Development
Brac Institute of Governance and Development
Departments
Department of Architecture
Department of Computer Science and Engineering
Department of Computer Science
Department of Economics and Social Sciences (School of Humanities and Social Sciences) Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering Department of Electrical and Communication Engineering Department of English and Humanities (School of Humanities and Social Sciences) Department of Anthropology Department of Mathematics and Natural Sciences Department of Pharmacy Department of Bachelor of Business Administration